Quotes from the Producer Letter Live Part I about PvP (0:46 - 0:48)
(mind you, it was in October 2011 so things could of changed)


- PvP will be optional content, players that do not wish to take part in PvP are not forced to
- "Battlefield such as a coliseum" planned, where you know who will be your opponent and team
- "Free roaming PvP area where you can fight for control of various influences"
- Coliseum is more for casual players and to try out PvP
- Thoughts about "PvP ranks"


With Yoshida-san being a hardcore PvP player, he seems to have finalized this at a very early stage of the ARR project